EDIT: We have closed the donation page as Matt and Ashley have gotten overwhelming support and they believe they will be able to pay their medical bills as well as take care of expenses while they are unable to work. Thank you all so much for your generosity and support. They have both received stitches as of yesterday as well so as long as there is no sign of infection, they should be cleared to fly home in the next week or so. Again, thank you all so much!

Matt and Ashley saved for a trip of a lifetime for Ashley to get her open water diving certificate in Thailand. They have been together over 10 years and are some of the sweetest, kindest people you could ever hope to have as a friend or family member. Unfortunately their trip took a turn for the worst. On Tuesday, November 27th, Matt and Ashley were on their way to go diving in Koh Lanta, Thailand and were ejected from their scooter, launching them into dirty rock and debris. They were transported by ambulance to a larger hospital in nearby Trang.

Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, their medical insurer has refused to pay any money to help with the mounting medical expenses. Their bills are adding up quickly and they've already paid $12,000 just to be able to have debridement surgery for contaminated wounds and get stitches. They both have painful road rash covering large areas on their bodies and bandages covering both hands and arms. They will need multiple debridement surgeries before they are permitted to fly home.

They are supposed to fly home next week (December 5th) but it is unlikely they will be able to fly on their scheduled flight as it's 30 hours long including layovers and in economy class where they will be very uncomfortable sitting for that duration. Ideally we would raise enough funds for them to be able to fly home in an upgraded seat so they can lie flat and be more comfortable.

Any funds raised will first go towards the medical bills and getting them home safely. It would be wonderful to raise enough to have someone from their families fly over to help them as it will be difficult for them to get their bags (still in Koh Lanta) and get themselves on a plane.

Therefore, from the bottom of our hearts, we ask you to please donate to bring our brother and sister-in-law home and get them the medical care that they so desperately need.

Hello again everyone! Great news - we have closed the donation page as Matt and Ashley have gotten overwhelming support and they believe they will be able to pay their medical bills as well as take care of expenses while they are unable to work. They are so grateful to everyone for their support during this ordeal. Thank you all so much for your generosity and support.

They have both received stitches as of yesterday as well and did not require skin grafts so as long as there is no sign of infection, they should be cleared to fly home in the next week or so. Again, thank you all so much!

Wow! Thank you so much everyone, we’re already at almost $10,000 less than 24 hours after posting. I know Matt and Ashley are so grateful to have the family and friends that they do.

Also some good news, Matt and Ashley’s nurse has arranged for their bags to be packed up and brought to them in Trang. Hopefully this goes off without a hitch and then they'll have access to all their cards, insurance information etc.

The insurance company is refusing to pay Matt’s bills because he did not have a motorcycle license, something that they were not aware they needed. The scooter rental companies in Thailand do not require this license and will accept a regular driver's license only. Most people are not aware that renting these bikes without a proper motorcycle license means your insurance provider will not cover you if you get in an accident. Luckily the insurance company has agreed to reimburse Ashley’s medical fees as she was a passenger on the motorbike, which reduces their bills substantially. We believe the insurance company will pay for a family member to go join Matt and Ashley, which is great, as they’ll need help getting home.

Medically, they are still waiting to get stitches as their wounds need to be fully cleaned and they both need more debridement surgeries before they’ll be able to be sutured. They will be in the hospital for at least another week (and likely longer) before being declared safe to travel.

They still have a long ways to go as every day of debridement surgery costs $2,200 and they will need these surgeries for the next few days. They have put $13,000 as a deposit and are hoping that this will cover the hospital stay but it will likely be more. Even the food in the hospital comes with a price list. Every single bit helps so thank you again for your generous donations. Hopefully we can get them home safely in the next few weeks.